Mayfly

Well, I did it. Yesterday I cooked and cooked and cooked some more.

Sunday I looked over all your suggestions and did a few searches then made myself a game plan and a grocery list. Except for when I sat down and ate dinner with the family, I was on my feet in the kitchen from noon until 9:30 p.m. Yowser!

So here's what I made:

- a extra large batch of pizza/pasta sauce.
- baked pasta with chicken sausage- this is a big recipe- it will feed us 3 times.
- mac and cheese- this made two 9 x 9 pans full. We ate one for dinner last night.
- catalina cranberry chicken- I very loosely used that recipe. I made my own catalina dressing with grated onions, but I did buy a can of cranberry sauce. I eliminated the onion soup, so I added a little garlic salt and onion powder.
- turkey meatloaf- my own recipe. I just throw in whatever I have. I used a pound of ground turkey and a pound of turkey Italian sausage, onions, bread soaked in milk, an egg, ketchup, minced garlic, worchestireshire sauce...
- Irish beef hand pies- I cheated and bought ready-made pie crusts. I think it made enough for 2 meals. J is stoked about these.
- broccoli calzones- I am stoked about these.

What I wanted to prepare, but didn't have time:

- a batch of pesto from my rapidly wilting potted basil from the patio.
- bacon wrapped chicken- I think we'll just have this for dinner tonight. You know how I feel about the bacon.
- vegetable soup- my plan was to make a big pot for dinner and freeze the extra but it didn't happen.

What I think I'll still make this week:

- cinnamon bread- I am making this in the morning just because it looks soooo good.
- banana bread- one plain and one chocolate chip. I have some brown bananas to use up. I'll freeze both loaves.
- pumpkin bread- one to eat and one to freeze. I had three little pie pumpkins on the front porch for Fall and a squirrel took a nibble of one. I'm afraid if I don't cook it soon, it will rot.
- granola. We're just all out. People around here start squawking if I let that happen. ; )

So what did I learn? Well, this may not be the ideal way to go about this. I think the better way is to double the batch of whatever you're preparing and freeze the second half. BUT I actually had a great time (dorky, I know). What else? I think you could put just about anything in a hand pie. I really love the freezer-friendly section at Martha Stewart. And... I am a wimp. Standing on my feet all that time made me tired.

Now we have all these meals just waiting for us! Yum.

Oh, and thank you all SO much for your help, but I didn't put together a big list of resources for you, I'm sorry. I figure you're big kids. You can read the comments on your own. ; )